The next transfer window will see the top clubs in Europe lining up to win the signature of prolific goalscorer Timo Werner but Chelsea could enjoy a significant edge over rivals. The Blues have Antonio Rudiger on their roster and reports said the German is working to convince Werner to pick Stamford Bridge as his next stop.
Werner and Rudiger were characterized as close pals, having played together with the German national team and Stuttgart. They last worked in a team in 2015 but it is believed the connection between the two has remained. It is a possibility that a push coming from Rudiger could lead Werner to join up with Chelsea, where the former plays as a center back.
According to Metro, based on the report by Sport Bild, the former teammates are in constant communication and Rudiger is trying to make the case of signing up with the side of Frank Lampard.
Werner is a transfer target by numerous teams in the Premier League with Liverpool and Manchester United touted as his top suitors but it is said that Rudiger is trying to win the nod of the RB Leipzig striker for the Blues.
The same report said Lampard is bent on bringing the 24-year-old to the Premier League and the game plan is to make the striker work on the pitch with Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham. This could play out for the Blues next season if Rudiger can convince his younger friend to ignore offers coming from the Red Devils and Liverpool.
However, the side of Jurgen Klopp still has a shot to make Werner wear red in the next season's campaign. It is widely known that the young striker has a preference to play in England in case he exits from Bundesliga and Liverpool is top on his list.
The Anfield side, however, has made clear that Werner's asking price is too high. Leipzig will only sell the forward for no less than £52 million but Liverpool can only pay £30 million, and any higher the Reds are ready to walk away.
The Guardian reported that Klopp has until June 15 to make a formal offer and after the date, he will need to re-negotiate news terms with the German side. It's unclear if Leipzig will be more flexible after the deadline but one thing is sure, Liverpool will need to outbid not only rivals within the Premier League but also clubs from around Europe.
The race to sign Werner is mostly due to his sterling performance in the last two seasons. In the ongoing campaign so far, the striker appeared in 28 Bundesliga games and scored 24 goals, and the numbers are the strongest argument for the intense interest that he is generating.
